Great question, Elizabeth! The amount that I used on these cocoa bombs mixed in perfectly – no oil floating on top. However, as you can see, I kept the design slightly on the more minimal side. I probably wouldn’t recommend painting the ENTIRE cocoa bomb, but otherwise, you should be good to go!
Edible Art Paint by Sweet Sticks – Tips and Tricks
Tip 1. Shake well! We know the packaging says it but we really mean it.
Tip 2. If you like, cover your paint pallet with some cling wrap to avoid hard washing up! When you’re done simply throw out the cling wrap and wrap again.
Tips 3. Try different paint brushes. Some don’t streak, some do. Sponge brushes are also a great way of applying the paint.
Tip 4. Start with a little. Its alcohol based so it will evaporate on your pallet. A little goes a long way so while you’re getting to know your paints, Start with a little.
Tip 5. It’s a different medium to what you are probably use to working with. One of its points of difference is that it dries quickly. That means you can get your cakes out quicker! You simply need to add more paint as you go and if it dries on your pallet before you’re finished simply add a drop of rose spirit to make it come alive again.
Tip 6. Get creative and make your own colours too! All paints are made are at the same consistency so by all means, go colour crazy!
Tip 7. Sponge application works amazing on fondant, buttercream (cold of course) and royal icing cookies. So get your sponge on!
Tip 8. Have a glass of hot soapy water on hand along with some paper towel. When you have finished with one colour, wash your brush gently & immediately and dry with the paper towel. Or if you’re forgetful like me you can simply put some dishwashing liquid in your hand, wash the brush in the liquid and rinse with hot water afterwards.
Tip 8. If you are after a water colour effect, simply add rose spirit to you palette along with Edible Art Decorative Paints until you have the right consistency.
Temper chocolate with a heating pad
There are several ways to successfully temper chocolate—i.e. the process of slowly heating and cooling chocolate to prepare it for making confections. While makers use several methods for tempering, including a double broiler or a microwave, Erik Landegren, confectionist and founder of Connecticut-based Bridgewater Chocolate, uses a clever technique to keep his chocolate in temper. “Lay a heating pad underneath the tempered chocolate to help maintain the temperature of 90 degrees, which is a great go-to temperature for dark chocolate,” he says.
Although it’s not permitted in professional kitchens, Christopher Curtin, master chocolatier and owner of Éclat Chocolate in West Chester, Pennsylvania, learned a trick to test the temperature of tempered chocolate while working in Europe. “Put a dab on your bottom lip,” he says. “It’s like the cliche of testing baby’s milk on your wrist—you can feel if the chocolate is a proper temperature.”
Have patience
Making chocolate candy is akin to baking, in that it requires patience, organization, and an attention to detail. “The process of making bonbons, from painting cocoa butter, shelling, filling, and capping is a long process, and patience plays a big role,” says Krystle Swenson, pastry chef at the green o in Montana. “It’s important to not rush throughout any of the stages, and take the time you need to finish each step.”
Don’t use chocolate chips
Couverture, or chocolate formulated with a higher percentage of cocoa butter, is essential for making chocolate bonbons, says Ocean House Collection pastry chef Maya Hayes. “Make sure you are using bars, chunks, or callets, not chocolate chips,” she says. “Chocolate chips contain thickeners such as soy lecithin so that they can stay in the chip form even in the oven. This will make the chocolate very thick and difficult to temper.”
Deirdre Maguire, chocolatier at Gotham Chocolates (part of NYC’s Gotham restaurant), avoids baker’s chocolate, or chocolates with added palm oils. She suggests using bean-to-bar chocolate, noting, “The end result will be much better than using a commercial brand like Hershey’s.” Hayes likes working with a brand like Valrhona or Barry Callebaut, while Swenson adds Guittard and TCHO to the list. MacNeil likes Italian chocolate brands Amedei and Domori, and says Cacao Barry is also great, and a bit more accessible.
Hi, I’m Lexis Rose!
Welcome! I love to transform tasty treats into works of art—and I’m here to show you how to do it, too!
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